Alex Hirschfield

Professor Alex Hirschfield, BA (Hons), PhD, HonMFPH

Professor of Criminology

Director of the Applied Criminology Group, University of Huddersfield

Visiting Professor, School of Psychology, University of Liverpool

Alex graduated from the University of Leeds with a BA and a Ph.D. in Human Geography. In 1989, after five years as a policy planner in local government, he became a Research Fellow in the Department of Civic Design (Town and Regional Planning) at the University of Liverpool. He was made a Senior Lecturer in 1998 and appointed Reader in Urban Research in 2001.

In September 2004 Alex was appointed Professor of Criminology and Director of Applied Criminology Group, University of Huddersfield. He was made a Visiting Professor in the school of Psychology, University of Liverpool in December 2004. He has been Home Office Senior Academic Adviser to the Government Office North West since January 2002.

His research interests include environmental criminology, urban regeneration, policy evaluation and health impact assessment. Alex has secured research funding from ESRC (Crime and Social Order Programme), EPSRC (Technologies for Crime Prevention and Detection), local regeneration partnerships and a range of central government departments including the Home Office, the Department of Health and ODPM. In 1997 he became responsible for the long-term evaluation of the Safer Merseyside Partnership. He has also worked closely with Merseyside Police on a number of projects. In July 1999, Alex won a major contract from the Home Office to evaluate the Reducing Burglary Initiative in the north of England. He currently leads the 'Crime Theme' in the national evaluation of the Government's New Deal for Communities Programme.

He has served on the Expert Panel for three high profile national evaluations: Drugs Testing Pilots (DARU, Home Office), the Street Wardens Initiative (ODPM) and On Track (Children and Young Persons Unit).

His other research work is in public health for which he was awarded Honorary Membership of the Faculty of Public Health in July 2000.